# Freada Kapor Klein

> Freada Kapor Klein, Ph.D. is a founding partner at Kapor Capital, a social-impact venture firm that has invested in 200+ startups founded by underrepresented entrepreneurs while outperforming 75% of peer VC firms by financial returns. Long before #MeToo, she co-founded the first U.S. organization dedicated to combating workplace sexual harassment (1976), earned a Ph.D. studying harassment in federal employment, and built diversity programs at Lotus Development Corporation. She co-founded SMASH (Summer Math and Science Honors Academy), the Level Playing Field Institute, Project Include, and the DAIR Institute, and co-authored 'Closing the Equity Gap' (HarperCollins, 2023). Former NAACP National Board member and Obama Foundation Tech Policy Council member, she has spent five decades dismantling the belief that fairness and financial return are mutually exclusive.

- **Role:** Founding Partner at Kapor Capital
- **Organizations:** Kapor Capital, Kapor Center for Social Impact, Kapor Foundation, Klein Associates, SMASH (Summer Math and Science Honors Academy), Level Playing Field Institute, Project Include, DAIR Institute, Hollywood Commission, NAACP (National Board of Directors), Obama Foundation Tech Policy Council, Alliance Against Sexual Coercion (co-founded 1976)
- **From:** Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. in Criminology, University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D. in Social Policy and Research, Brandeis University, Heller School for Social Policy and Management
- **Known for:** Co-founded the first US organization dedicated to workplace sexual harassment prevention (1976) - before the term 'sexual harassment' was widely used, Built Lotus Development Corporation's pioneering progressive workplace programs as first Head of Employee Relations (1984-1987), Contributed input to the Civil Rights Act of 1991

## Career timeline

- **1970-1974** — UC Berkeley undergrad; volunteer counselor at one of the US's first rape crisis hotlines, Bay Area Women Against Rape
- **1976** — Co-founded Alliance Against Sexual Coercion - the first US organization dedicated to combating workplace sexual harassment
- **late 1970s** — Executive Director of Help for Abused Women and their Children at age 26
- **1984** — Completed Ph.D. at Brandeis, dissertation on sexual harassment in federal employment
- **1984-1987** — First Head of Employee Relations at Lotus Development Corporation, recruited by CEO Mitch Kapor
- **1987** — Founded Klein Associates, workplace fairness and bias-reduction consulting firm
- **1991** — Appeared regularly on NBC during Anita Hill Senate hearings; contributed input to the Civil Rights Act of 1991
- **1999** — Relocated to Bay Area; began formal partnership with Mitch Kapor
- **2000** — Co-created IDEAL Scholars Fund as response to California's Proposition 209 banning affirmative action
- **2001** — Founded Level Playing Field Institute to foster STEM participation among underrepresented groups
- **2003** — Launched SMASH (Summer Math and Science Honors Academy), now on 8 university campuses
- **2007** — Co-authored 'Giving Notice' - documented $64B annual cost of unfair workplace treatment
- **2011** — Formally co-founded Kapor Capital with Mitch Kapor in current social-impact iteration
- **2014** — Co-authored 'Pattern Recognition' on hidden bias in tech startup culture (ACM)
- **2016** — Co-founded Project Include with Ellen Pao and others to advance DEI in startups; Kapor Capital mandates founder diversity commitments
- **2017** — Published open letter to Uber board following Susan Fowler's exposé of systemic harassment
- **2019** — Co-founded philanthropic fund supporting women of color combating sexual harassment
- **2020** — Named UC Berkeley Alumna of the Year
- **2023** — Co-authored 'Closing the Equity Gap' with Mitch Kapor (HarperCollins)
- **2025** — Named Forbes Women 50 Over 50 honoree

## Achievements

- Co-founded the first US organization dedicated to workplace sexual harassment prevention (1976) - before the term 'sexual harassment' was widely used
- Built Lotus Development Corporation's pioneering progressive workplace programs as first Head of Employee Relations (1984-1987)
- Contributed input to the Civil Rights Act of 1991
- Founded SMASH - a STEM residential program on 8 university campuses, 50% female since inception
- Kapor Capital invests in 60%+ underrepresented founders while outperforming 75% of peer VC firms financially
- Co-founded Project Include to advance DEI across startup ecosystem
- Co-founded DAIR Institute for independent, community-centered AI research
- Kapor Capital was the first investment firm to mandate founder diversity commitments (2016)
- Named UC Berkeley Alumna of the Year (2020)
- Named Forbes Women 50 Over 50 (2025)
- Co-authored 'Closing the Equity Gap' (HarperCollins, 2023) - a VC reform roadmap
- Founding member of Hollywood Commission that recruited Anita Hill as Board Chair
- Member of NAACP National Board of Directors
- Member of Obama Foundation Tech Policy Council

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Named to Forbes Women 50 Over 50 list
- **2023-10** — Published 'Closing the Equity Gap' with Mitch Kapor via HarperCollins
- **2023-01** — Ongoing work as co-founder of DAIR Institute for independent AI research
- **2022-06** — Published 'Digging Into the Great Resignation' analysis on Medium
- **2020-01** — Named UC Berkeley Alumna of the Year by the Cal Alumni Association

## Links

- Website: https://closingtheequitygap.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-freada-kapor-klein-487a719/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/therealfreada

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/freada-kapor-klein
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Last updated: 2026-05-04